MPs slam Star Sports for Diane Abbott 'racist' tweet from Ally Pally darts

Prominent Labour MPs have criticised a bookmaker for tweeting an image of a darts fan dressed as Diane Abbott at the World Darts Championships at Alexandra Palace in London on Friday evening.

Labour MP for Tottenham and prominent anti-FOBT campaigner David Lammy tweeted on Sunday: "I can’t believe that in 2017 a bookmaker is sharing photos of someone in blackface and then telling people to stop taking it so seriously.

"Racism and misogyny is not a laughing matter and I stand by , who puts up with so much disgusting abuse."

Fellow Labour MP Stella Creasy joined the criticism of Hove-based Star Sports Bookmakers, who posted the picture on their Twitter account.

Creasy tweeted: “Wow, guess it says what you really think of your customers that you promote this.

"Hoping Alexandra Palace expect better about those using their beautiful venue, as bookies or punters.”

Diane Abbott: referenced in a tweet by Star Sports from the World Darts Championships

Before flying to Tenerife on holiday, Star Sports chief Ben Keith said on Sunday: "I still don't understand it. The joke was on the '190' sign the person was holding up, nothing else.

"One of the lads from the office took the picture surrounded by people dressed up in silly outfits and posted it on our account."

The 190, rather than the darts maximum of 180, was a swipe at Abbott's reputation for muddling numbers in speeches.

Star Sports initially stood by the post but on Sunday morning took it down, tweeting: "On Friday evening we tweeted a photo taken at the darts featuring a member of the audience dressed in a Diane Abbott costume.

"It was not meant to cause offense [sic] with the humourous element in our eyes being the 190 scribbled on the sign.

"We have since removed the photo and would like to apologise to all those who were offended by it."